Never too Late to Recognize Great Weekend Race Efforts

Last weekend was super busy with multiple local triathlons that are put on in world-class style. Liberty Triathlon kicked off the weekend on Saturday over in Independence with Olympic and Half Iron distance events. As usual, Final Stretch put on a great event that left everyone smiling. We heard from many participants how much they enjoyed the event.

One of our lucky tri club members, Chris Petree, had the opportunity to compete at the Liberty Triathlon for free thanks to a voucher from Final Stretch. Here is what he had to say regarding the race:

“Sean (Race Director)

I just wanted to congratulate you on a wonderful event this past Saturday. I enjoyed myself and really enjoyed the course….I’ll be back in future years. Thanks again to you and the GW Tri Club for the entry!”

For the half iron, Burnsville local Dan Arlandson came in first with a smoking 4:13:22 time. Michelle Andres turned in another excellent performance this season, showing everyone how its done. For the full results, click here. For the Olympic course, Justin Manning and Christina Roberts stole the show in the male and female fields. Here are the full results.

Manitou Triathlon took place on Sunday. Once again, Gear West Bike had full presence with mechanics on-sight. Dan Hedgecock, Devon Palmer, and Kevin O’Connor all rocked, with Dan out-kicking the field on the 5k run. The race was exciting until the very end and even had a little twist during the swim course. I guess the elites can’t always show everyone how it is done given bodies were going all directions during the swim out. Oh well, everyone has had a good laugh regarding the situation. For the ladies race, Claire Bootsma turned in another stellar performance for the season. She came into the race with a win at Apple Duathlon and managed to put 3 minutes on the field. Suzie Finger and Becky Youngberg rounded out the field coming in 2nd and 3rd respectively. Check out thefull results.

Last but not least was Trinona, put on by Life Time Fitness. The race featured many spectacular male and female athletes including local pro and overall winner David Thompson. Also in the mix were Patrick Davis, Matt Payne, Alex Hooke, and Nathan White. For the women’s field, Heidi Keller-Miler lead the charge, putting more than three minutes on a field that included Julie Hull, Ann Snuggerud, and Robyn Wangberg. Here are the full results.

Regardless of some impressive performances, one of the coolest things to see was the level of gratitude and sportsmanship displayed at each race. All the races were well attended and put on in fantastic fashion to display the level of competition that is showcased here in Minnesota. We heard numerous thanks from participants pointed towards the race directors and our mechanics for the time investment. At the end of the day, this is what makes races memorable. We are all in it for the fun and camaraderie that is alive in the tri community.

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Welcome to the official blog of Gear West Bike and Triathlon. We have enjoyed supporting the multisport community for over 20 years and look forward to sharing our knowledge with you. You can visit our store site at gearwestbike.com